Method of making tackless mckay shoes



May 15, 1928.

w. B. WHITE METHOD OF MAKING TACKLESS MCKAY SHOES Filed Oct. 31, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet May 15, 1928.

W. B. WHITE METHOD OF MAKING TACKLESS MCKAY SHO ES 0 ets-Sheet 2 /1zve7tl"or Filed Oct. 31. 1921 May 15, 1928.

W. B. WHITE METHOD OF MAKING TACKLESS McKAY SHOES Filed Oct. 51, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet A d L 3% Patented May 15, 1928.

UNITED sr WHITE, OF" NORTH ABINGTON', MASSACHUSETTS.

' mn'rnon or" MAKING TACKLESS oney sirens] I Application filed October 31, 1921. Serial Iva/511,590.,

My present invention is an improvement in the art of manufacturing. boots and shoes, and more particularly relates to a method of making tackless McKay shoes.

i The present lmprovement 1s directed primarily to the manufacture of that class of footwear known as McKay, sewed or fastenedgby through and through stitching, and has forv its object the production by novel, simple and eificient methods, of a tackless McKay shoe. Heretofore in the manufacture of McKay sewed shoes ithas been customary to make these shoes upon a last with a clinching plate along the bottom, to apply an insole to the shoe of' su'fiicient strengthto receive and hold thelasting tacks clinched therein, which tacks were driven from the outside through the insole and clinched against the bottom ofthe last during or as a part of the lasting operation.

These tacks were left permanently in the shoe, it being necessary to so. leave them while the last waspulled and the McKay stitching applied, attaching the outsole to both insole and upper Fmaterials. This method has. been very objectionable,;because the lasting tacks were left in the shoe where they frequently workedloose, to the discomfort of the wearer and furthermore a shoe construction" resulted which was extremely stiff and unbending, whereas a shoe with considerable flexibility is desired;

My present invention contemplates the entire removal of the lasting tacks-or equivalent upper holding devices from the shoe, after the outsole has been stitched thereto. Furthermore,I am enabled to carryout my method of shoe manufacture by the usual steps and utilizing the present well known machines in general use in shoe factories, without the addition of other machines or cumbersome processes. By removing the lasting tacks after they have performed their function of holding the laste'd'upper and insole together while the last is removed and the permanent stitching applied, I am enabled to, produce a shoe by a very simple McKay sewed process which will be as flexible as a welt or'turn shoe.

In' carrying out my invention I prefer to prepare the'insole, or insole/member, which may be either left in the shoe or a part permanently removed therefrom, as will beer;- plained, with the equivalent-of lasting tacks butapplied thereto and, carried thereby in as. directly reverse manner from that ordi narily in -vogue, i. e., in prior shoe con structions the lastlngtacks were driven 1n from the outside through the insole and clinched against the 'last. In my present construction I apply the upper holding tacks or members, which may be termed tacks, di- 7 rectly to the insole oryinner member carrying them with the points projecting upwardly and the heads resting against the last. Thus these tacks are never driven into a last and neither is any clinching plate required on the bottom of the last, thus permitting unlimited re-use of a wooden last without damage thereto by the lasting tacks. With-the insole or insole mejmbe'r thus prepared I apply it to the last with the'points projecting upwardly, then pull over. and

catch the upper thereto, this being accomplished by the usual Hand Method lasting machines, or by hand, and .if' desired, these projecting points may be of sufiicient length to clinch slightly over the upper. Thereupon the outsole is applied, the last withdrawn and the McKay stitching inserted.

The lasting tacks having now served their functionof holding the upper in lasted position until the McKay stitching *was applied, are no longer necessary in the shoe. At this point I remove these lasting tacks. In carryingout this operation of tack removing,

various methods may be used; For example I contemplate applying the tacks through a strip of carrying material of suflicient strength to enable theentire rowoflasting tacks along themar-gin of the insole, tobe pulledout'and extracted. Furthermore I may remove that part of-the insole-like member carrying the tacks, entirely if desired,afte r the McKay stitching, in the latter instance setting the stitching outside of I the margin of the said part of the insole or lasting-tack-carrying member, thereby leaving .the outsole and upper materials united and presenting a shoe construction substantially equivalent to that of a turn shoe',without the turning. A} further modification same or in raising the forepart of the insole,

free of tacks'back'in the shoe. "These vari- "would be in cutting a portion of the insole e or tack carrying member and removing the ous modifications will be hereinafter more fullydesflribed. a

It, is belived' that the preparation of-an insole with; lasting tacks positioned in the manner heretofore described, a distinct extracting the tacksa-nd replacing the insole novelty and I have claimed the same in my my invention consists'in the novel idea of.

having the insole, or insole-like member, either formed with a plurality of sections, or capable of being cutwhile on the shoe and last into a plurality ofsections, one of which sections may thereafter be withdrawn to release the same from the lasting tacks or ,t'acklike holding devices.

, Referring to the drawings, illustrating preferred embodiments of the inventlon,

Fig. 1 1s a plan view of my insole, or insole member, prepared with the last engag- 7 lustratingJ ing. tacks or devices therein, and showing the grain surface of the insole adapted to'be positioned next the last, with thetack heads in contact With the last;

, Fig. 2 is a fragmentary portion of the .reverse'or flesh side of the insole, showing the lasting tack points projecting upwardly; and Fig. 3 is across-sectional View on the line 3.3 of Fig. 2

Fig. .4 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1, il-

' a modifiedmethod; Fig. 5 eing a corresponding similar View illustrating a still further modification;

Fig. 6 is also a plan view of the insole or insole member, wherein a plurality of tack carrying strips are employed; Y

Fig. 7 is'a cross-sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, and showing the completedshoe withthe 'outsole attached and the lasting tacks ready to be removed;

' Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig.5, further illustrating that construction v Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a shoe on a line approximately 9-9 of Fig. 4;

Fig, 10 isa cross-sectional view of my general shoe constructiombefore the lasting tacks are removed; 1

Fig; 11 is a fragmentary view of the tack carrying. strip; I

,Figs. 12, 13 and 14 being furthermodifications of lasting devices. s

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, I first prepare an .insole, designated generally at 1, cutaway at the marginal portion from the toe to heel parts, indicated in dot and dash line at 2, 2. This construction permits the through and throughvstitching along the forepart and shank to be set free of engagement with this part of the insole, if desired, and therefore leavesthis, part of the insole 'free to be raised or pulled out after the shoe is made, the last removed and the outsole stitching inserted. For this purpose it is necessary to also cut the insolewhere the toe portion is to be lastedas indicated at '3, Figs. 1 and 2. This cut at 3 may be made and the remainder ofthe insole cemented to its toe portion andthen the lasting tacks or devices 5, 5, are put through from the grain side of the insole, i.e., that intended to be next the foot of the wearer, with their points 6projecting therefrom. The insole thus prepared is then applied to the last, with the heads of the tacks, or lasting fastening devices 5, inflcontact with the last, and the points 6 projecting upwardly, The upper is then assembled, pulled over and lasted by catching upon the points 6. I find that this is a feasible method of lasting a shoe, and can be accomplished either 'by hand or by the well-known Hand Method lasting machine, the machine being operated in the same manner as now customary, excepting that the tack reservoir, and raceway are removed or the tack reservoir simply v not filled, the driving bar elfectually serving tohammer down the upper afterthe lasting fingers have stretched and'pulled over I apply the outsole, withdraw the last, and put through .the through and through stitching, which engages the 'outsole and upper along the dotted line 10, in Fig. 1, just missing the inside of the insole from the same. Then, with the upper thuslasted, V i

the points .11 to 12, 'i. e., toe to h eel and stitch through the toe and heel portion sif desired. The shoeas thus made is then in the position as shown in Fig. 10, wherein the outsole 15 is attached to theupper materials 16 by'the outsole stitching 17, which latter is set through outside the marginal edge of the insole 1. The toe and heelportions may be tacked or nailed after being lasted in the usual manner. .As shown in. Fig. 1, the dot. and da-sh'line 2 .illustrates practically the line of the last, and therefore the upper is drawn over beyond the same and spaced thus far from themarginal edge of the insole 1. With the upper thus secured to the outsole, it isthen feasible to reach into the shoe, and with a sharp instru- .ment, pinchers or the like, catch the rear portion ofthe insole along the line of cut 3, and pull the same out, thus releasing the tacks from their engagement with theupper.

.The part of the insole at the rear ofthe toe portion can be pulled out of the shoe until only the heel retaining nails retain the-same, and thereupon the lasting tacksfi can be readily removed from the insole.

"The insole may be then replaced and left in the shoe, or if desired, may be cut off, either acrossthe ball ofthe shoe at18, or at the heel portion at 19, Fig. 1, and thereupon the shoe will be left inthe'position as illustrated in Fig. 9.

My invention of thus cutting the insole or having the same in severable sections, enables the insole to carry the lasting tacks until the shoe is completed, after which it may be removed.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 5 shows a further modification, wherein the insole 25, instead of being so formed and constructed in sections as to permit of part of the insole being pulled out from the inside of the shoe after the outsole stitching isotherwise completed, is made of a. complete size, and is adapted to have the through and through stitching 30 engage then the sections 33, 33, cut with a knife almost through, to permit the subsequentremoval of these entire sections of the insole after the shoe is otherwise complete. In

this form the tack carrying strip or portion of the insole is removed.

I prefer to also have separate tack carrying strips, this form being illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. Under this arrangement the insole 40 may be either of a full width of the last, and therefore adapted to receive the stitching 41, in accordance with usual McKay shoe construction, or the insole may be cut away along its marginal part similar to that shown in Fig. 4, to leave a loosefooted insole from toe to heel, for greater flexibility. As illustrated in Fig. 7, I have shown these tack carrying strips 44 with the tacks 5 therein, of suitable length to extend along the forepart and shank, i. e., from toe to heel, and to remain in position until after the upper is lasted thereover. Thereupon the outsole is applied, the last removed and the through and through stitching 41 put in, engaging both insole, upper and outsole and permanently securing the shoe together. The shoe being now completed. the strips 44 can readily be removed by pincers, sharp instrument or the like, thus withdrawing the tacks entirelyfrom the torepart and shank of the shoe, and leaving the same free of metallic fastening, thus forming a tackless McKay shoe construction.

Figs. 12, 13 and 14 illustrate tacks strips 48 and'50, carrying thereon various types of metallic fasteners 51 and 52' to 'take the place of the tacks 5, or as a substitute therefor.- These fastening devices are, of course, optional, but in each instance present points upwardly, and are so attached to the strips 48 and as to insure their positive removal from the shoe. Furthermore, where the pro ect-ing points are comparatively short and do not project beyond the thickness of the upper material 16 lasted thereon, these strips could readily be used repeatedly in successive shoe manufacturing operations,

Even should the driving bar-clinch slightly the points or an occasional point, these could be readily removed from the. shoe when the strips are torn out and and a new tack or fastener could be placed on the strip in order to enablethe strips to be used subsequently.

- My invention further describedand defined in the form of claims as follows:

1. The improved method of making boots.

and shoes employing McKay stitching, which consists in providing an insole of less dimensions than the inside of theshoe, fixing through said insole a plurality of upper holding metallic members with the points projecting uppermost from the tread surface the marginal edge of a portion of the'insole,

and then removing the said metallicmembers by withdrawing the same from inside the shoei y k p 2. The improved method of making boots and shoes employing McKay stitching, which consists in'providing an insole of less dimensions than the inside of theshoe, fixing through said insole a plurality of upper holding metallic members with the points projecting uppermost from the tread surface thereof, assembling the insole and upper materials on a last, lasting the shoe by pulling over, stretching and engaging the upper materials onto said metallic members, applying the outsole, removing the last, stitching through theoutsole and upper materials beyond the marginal edge of a portion of the insole, and then removing that part of the insole carrying said metallic members.

3. The improved method of making a tackless McKay shoe, consisting in positioning removable lasting tacks in an insole so as to be carried thereby and extend therethrough, assembling said insole on a last with the tack heads bearing on the last bottom and the points projecting from the insole in position to engage and hold the upper when lasted, lasting the upper, applying the outsole, withdrawing the last, sewing the shoe, and then removing apart of the said insole and the tacks carried thereby.

In testimony whereof, I have signedmy name to this specification.

. WARRENB. WHITE. 

